Happy, so sorry to hear about your back! What poor timing. I have a series of back exercies that I need to do whenever this happens to me, as it will do about once every other year or so... they are put together by Prevention Magazine and if you want me to scan and e-mail the pages to you privately, I'd be glad to do that - that is, if the technophobe (me) can figure out the scanner! I'm really bad when it comes to this stuff! These exercizes, when done 2X a day, for me really get my back better more quickly. I have ended up exactly as you are, one time my cat jumped up on my bed and startled me just when I had woken up and I moved quickly and threw my back out that way, another time I sneezed and it happened. Every now and then. But, when I am in control and working out regularly I am usually injury free.
I wish I lived close to you as I would come over and help you pack. Can your family do something for you here?
In the meantime, worrying about Christmas and what you will eat will just have to take a back seat for now my dear! Take care!
Linda

Oh yes, one more thing. The artichokes..... I take canned artichoke hearts (usually two cans) and cut them in to bitesized pieces. I then saute them in a bit of olive oil, only a small amount like two teaspoons. Then I drizzle a bit of lemon juice over top and spray ww butter spray on them as well for flavor. I make a dip for them, sometimes, with mayonaise with has a bit of garlic salt and lemon juice and salt and pepper added, they are pretty heavenly.
We make a beef fondue with oil in the pot to cook the beef and a bunch of dipping sauces like BBQ, Bernaise sauce, steak sauce, grain mustard, etc. This is such a fun meal for Christmas eve with lots of activity and conversation to go along with dinner!
We eat by candlelight with Christmas music and having everyone involved with cooking their own beef can be so much fun!
Linda

Good morning all. I did not make it to the gym this mroning. Kind of spaced out on the couch. I was just going to shrug it off. Then, I really looked at myself in the mirror, thought about my goals, and asked if I was proud of the choices I had made. Since the answer was, "not really" I packed my bag to hit the gym tonight after I interview for a part time job. Keep your fingers crossed.

Happy, sorry to hear about your back. I hope it gets better soon. As for the toffee, I usually can avoid eating too much, as it is pretty rich. I am making some peanut butter balls, and giving stuff away with gifts. Don't get me wrong, more than enough will still make it to my stomach. And thighs. And butt. And . . . .

Derry, glad you had fun in Boston. Your Christmas fondue sounds neat. I love the holiday traditions. It is what makes the holidays special.

Well, I really hope Bat is on his way over here. I need a kick in the rear. I hope everyone else is good.

Have a good MOnday.

Hi folks... it's the wayward raven flopping in again... :D

Happy - I hope your back heals quickly. I too have been there, done that. I will say that my back has never felt more wonderful and strong and limber than when I was doing pilates regularly.

Chachee - *hugs* Girl... I'm so glad your son is starting off with happiness. :D I know there's more you wrote, but I'm doing good to even make an entry at this point. ;) Forgive me.

Linda - Welcome back! Fondue sounds so fun!

Jolly - *hugs* to you, too. This is such a tough time of year to have weight loss goals. As I sit here eating my M&Ms. With peanuts! And a diet coke. ;) Don't beat yourself up, don't be discouraged. Things will be alright. January and the new year are right around the corner, and I have a feeling this year is going to be full of goals accomplished for all of us.

As for me.. well, I've been lost in a world of warcraft with my daughter while my boyfriend was out of town. That and I had a real scare with one of my horses. She probably instigated something, our princess Eve, and got herself really kicked badly on the back leg. For those in the know, right at the hock. Bad, bad place for a kick. On top of that she has either a bad bruise or an abscess coming out on the front leg, same side. The girl coudn't walk, literally. It was a scary few days to see if she was going to need serious vet care on that leg, but yesterday I was out there and she was walking again. Limping still, but moving. Huge relief there.

Anyway, I'm so off track it isn't funny. I'm not even going to waste my energy feeling crappy about it at this point. Right now I'm just focusing on the things that are really making me feel happy... my boyfriend got back from visiting his mom, and it was so good to have him back. My daughter, my son... my horses, the fact that the kids' dad is only a few hours away. I just need to spend a little time letting myself appreciate how good things really are for me, even if they could be better, they could be SO much worse, too.

A mixed blessing in my life - the company I work for is switching insurance companies, which means my premiums will go up by about $60 a month. That's bad. BUT the benefits are much better. That's good. In fact... they will actually cover a tubal ligation where my package with BCBS would not. SO! My goal is to get to the 150s and have a tubal ligation. Then I'll work on getting to the 130s. But that is HUGE incentive for me to lose some weight. I've been wanting to get my tubes tied for about 8 years now, and this is the first insurance I've had that would cover it. What a relief that will be!! It's not the tummy tuck, but it's a close second! :D

Anyway .. yeah. January is just around the corner, and we'll be going Back to Basics! :dance:

Hi Everyone!

Cookies are done and delivered and out of my house. I ate a few, but not too horribly. I had a lot of Doritos this weekend, though. Those new Pepper Jack ones are just my downfall right now.

Was on the treadmill a little longer this morning, and need to do some stretching for my sciatic pain. I was on my feet too much this weekend and I am feeling it now.

Happy: Sorry to hear your back is bad. I think you have a ton of stuff going on and you are doing so well dealing with it all. I did get all my projects done and gave them out for presents.

Linda: Welcome back and that artichoke recipe sounds amazing. I'll have to try it!

Raven: Love those fly-bys. I agree, back to basics in two weeks. I'm sure we will all need it by that point!

Jolly: Good job on getting to the gym. I thought Bat was there. I got the delivery confirmation on him. Are you just hiding him and not wanting to use him?? He get very temperamental about being left outside.....

I have to finish up hubby's stocking tonight. About $30 to go and I know what I am getting him. Just gotta pick it up. Everything else is done. I think I'm making homemade hamburgers for Christmas dinner. That or chicken stir fry. I made enough "traditional" stuff for Turkey Day. Not wanting it again.

That is all I'm going to say, for fear of being smacked by those of you that are running a little behind with holiday preparations. :)

So, happy Monday, welcome back everyone, and ho ho ho

Chach

hello there everybody . . . just a hello for now. . .
 

Hi there people. I'm back home now, back from Hong Kong. Today was my first day back on track, getting rid of the caffeine, sugar, processed foods. I was great today. Hope I can keep it up. I'm dead tired again but just wanted to say hi and get this thread up at the top again. I will read back tomorrow and see what ya all have been up to. I'm hoping all's well and the weight is coming off for you, or at least staying steady. Bye for now! :wave:

Good to be reading what you all are up to. Chach, you did well getting rid of those cookies! I baked yesterday and will be giving some of mine away, but it wouldn't be Christmas without these little gems!
Happy, how it your back? Hope it's getting a bit better. I am so reminded to get off my derriere and not let the holidays interfere with my exercise. You were certainly getting your exercise, though, with all the moving stuff, but maybe the wrong kind?
I'm sending you positive thoughts!
Raven, hope the horse is ok too!
Red, what's up? Haven't heard from you in awhile and I've missed you! I think you are wise to limit sugar, caffeine and all that stuff! I don't seem to be doing awfully well with caffeine, but rarely have any form of sugar.
I've ordered some books on diet and depression from Amazon.com this week. Do you all remember how my son went through a very rough time with depression? He's been on Zoloft and I've been reading so many articles and seeing so much on the news about that drug and it's bad effects. Our doctor just indicated that he doesn't feel comfortable prescribing it for Jeff any longer, so we are weaning him off it.
Being a typical teen, though, Jeff's diet is not great. He has lots of junk food, soda and sugar. He's not overweight, but could be one day. But, I have begun to think that these products may be contributing to his "down in the dumps" attitude, so I'd like to inform him and myself about this.
I have my weekly weigh in today... I'm crossing my fingers and think I'll have a loss... I'd better after three weeks in a row of gaining! Will let you guys know how I did!
Linda

Hi gals...

Linda - I just have to comment about the depression, the drugs, the diet thing. I have a teen, too. I've battled depression... I'm beginning to think pretty much everyone does. I'm very controversial in the sense that I have a very hard time with the standard medicate philosophy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing, and I went through my own discovery process with my son's diagnosis of ADHD (yeah, yeah) and medications and the whole bit.

I truly, honestly believe that we contribute to our own depression so greatly. I think we exacerbate the situation by relying on drugs, by ignoring ourselves, by trying to escape. This is me. Again, I'm not trying to criticize. I've been through a lot, my kids have been through a lot. My son came to GA telling me (at the ripe old age of what, 6?) that he "should never have been born" and that he "wanted to die." My daughter was sinking farther and farther into a depressive state about a year ago, and I was getting frantic. I do believe that the food has a lot to do with it. I believe there are a lot of things we ignore that have a lot to do with it. People in general put far too much emphasis on what other people think of them rather than accomplishing things for themselves, and focusing on fitting into their own skin. A lot of people think my getting horses is frivolous, but you know what? I'm firmly convinced it saved my daughter's sanity. It gave her something real, something solid, something to ground her. Something she could love without reservation, something that loved her back without any strings attached. Now I realize a horse isn't the answer for everyone, but I do think there ARE answers out there, we just aren't accepting them. Life is hard. It doesn't get easier, either. My ex-husband's sister committed suicide last year because she was depressed. She left 6 kids with a scum of a husband. It's not that I don't believe in depression, nor that I don't understand its impact. I've walked some very scary roads in my life, and some of them nearly ended up as dead ends, if you get my drift. There's so much to live for, so much in which to find joy, so many things to see and do. I've committed myself to trying to show that to my kids now, and I pray they don't have to walk the same paths I've danced on.

Enough of my soapbox. I truly hope your son finds a passion, a dream, something bigger than the drama of the teen world. We all need them.

Onward and upward... Chachee - Yes, you're right, I'd have to slap you for being so organized. ;) But it would be a love filled slap. :D Why do I ever think I can wait till the last minute and get things done? Bah. I'll stop procrastinating. Tomorrow.

Red - Welcome back from Hong Kong!! Did you have a good time!?? I really hope so!

Ahhhhh it's freezing here and I'm a weenie. I want so much to be home with a crackling fire and making cookies with the kids. Maybe it will snow and I'll get a day off? EVERYTHING shuts down here if they see a flake! :lol: I love it.

Happy Tuesday!

Hello all!

Depression and weight issues..oh how they are linked. I haven't battled depression, at least in a "clinical" state of diagnosis. I sure as **** have been down and out before, though. Unlike others, when it kicks in, I eat eat eat. I never understood those people who "couldn't eat because they were so upset". I eat everything!!!!! I don't agree with medicating our children, and I do believe it's a food, exercise and lifestyle situation more so that can help our kids, not medicine. I've never dealt with clinical depression, as previously stated, and I hope I never have to. My thoughts are with you, Linda.

Raven: A good love slap is good at times. Brings out the sadomasichist (sp) me. :) Go ahead and procrastinate....you thrive under stress!!

Red: Welcome back! Love new new balloon.

Linda: Good luck with weigh in!

Not much else going on. Just coasting along....

Chach

It's me again! First, some good news! I lost 1.8 pounds at my weigh in this week! Thank goodness, I've broken the cycle, finally, after gaining three weeks in a row, I have to re-lose .4 now to be where I was a month ago.
I made a decision.... I turn 50 on February 18th and I want to be at my GOAL then.... I may have some trouble in the next couple of weeks due to Christmas, but there will be no stopping me afterwards!
It's a BIG birthday and I want to be at a "fighting weight" to be in good health as I "age" (hate that term).
I agree, Raven, with 99% of what you said. I really think my son needs to focus on the future and the bright things. I hope I can help him and get him off Zoloft and on a more healthy path.
Hi Chach! I agree that a healthy lifestyle is what counts, but Jeff was suicidal last summer and we needed this drug. I think (personal opinion here only) that sometimes people lean on anti-depressants as a crutch when they need to pull themselves up by their collective bootstraps and move on. There are times when everyone is depressed, but he was in a different state. Now, he is through that bad spot and with all the warnings about teens on this drug actually killing themselves, I think it's totally time to get him off it, work on positive lifestyles and see what happens!
Linda

Hey all. It is good to see the thread so busy. :wave:Hello hello hello :wave:

Chachee, I will have to check with my downstairs neighbor. Maybe Bat was delivered to her when I wasn't home. he is sure not helping me. I will let you know.

I will now hop up on the other end of the soapbox here. I will agree that food and exercise do strongly affect mental status - I am dealing with a bad case of the grumpies today due to too much junk food and no exercise. I need to get that sorted out and soon. I will also agree that often times people prescribe meds as a quick out. I had a client on a lot of psychotropic medications for "non compliance." She didn't want to be woken up at 4:30 in the morning, when her bus didn't come until 9:30!!! But I think true Depression, or any mental illness, is a very complicated matter. If properly diagnosed, and properly researched, medication can be a vital part of treatment. We are talking about people that have lost all interest in life. Everybody has quirks, issues, symptoms of craziness as it were. I joke all the time about my obsessive compulsive disorder. But true mental illness has to interfere with day to day functioning in several areas. These are not people that can pull themselves up by the boot straps. It is not to be taken lightly. You have to help them up, help them find success, and help them find passions again. Medications have to be carefully researched, as they effect people different ways. But they shouldn't be ignored either.

OK. NOw I am off my soap box :)

Like I said, I need to get back to my regime. I get real irritable when I don't work out regularly, and mornings seem to be best, as I get set up for the day. Sigh.

Catch you all later.

On a lighter note!!
 

Ok .. a comrad in the battle of the bulge e-mailed this to me, and I just had to share.

Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? (Don't forget the slice of pecan pie)

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.

Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

I like your motto. Or as Auntie Mame said "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death."

Raven, that thing was cute! Sure wish my life was that simple in terms of eating and the results thereafter.... oh well.
Today is a busy day for me, hope I can get through it without going totally "off program"....
Linda

whisting a happy tune. . . .
 

Hi people, Glad to see things have picked up around here. Not that I was being much help.

Well, I'm wrapping up the second day of being back on track, eating well (as in no junk, I ALWAYS eat well as in lots and lots and lots!!). I got to the gym, had no sugar, only caffeine in the morning. I'm feeling tired (heh, no kidding) have work to do and did a bit of it. This is normally where I'd reach for the coffee but I'm just not going to. I know getting off the stuff makes you really tired at first because the body doesn't know what to do.

At the gym, I just let myself do what I could without pushing myself too much. Pushed myself some. But two days I can always do. I'm not at the office. I'm having time to myself. It's when the sh*t hits the fan so to speak that I reach for the sugar to numb me from it, when really all I want to do is sleep. . . but you know, I've been thinking this has all got to stop. Why numb myself from life? And what difference is there really, between reaching for the booze everyday (which I don't do) and reaching for the sugar everyday (which I do do), reaching for the stuff that makes me feel bad about myself by my OWN hand? Here I am, feeling crappy because of the way things are at work and then I go home and make myself feel worse?! Ok, ok, it tastes good, I feel I'm being nice to myself but come on, who are we kidding here? If that's the only way to cope with such a place then something's gotta give and to **** if it's going to be me. I've got to stop playing the victim. Got to keep that thought foremost in my mind. . Wish me luck.

********


Well, there's so much writing going on here, don't know where to start.

Raven -- loved the holiday eating guide. Made me laugh. I especially like No. 7 "If you come across something really good at a buffet table . . . position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention." This is something I tend to do naturally. Do I get any gold stars for my behavior?!!?

I agree with everything you said I think and I don't think at all you were saying anything different from jolly. Maybe she wasn't thinking so either, but it sounded a little that way. . . The operative word is "rely." You're saying we shouldn't RELY on drugs and I agree that this spells trouble. Sometimes, as Derry pointed out, you need an emergency measure, kind of a defibrillator for the mind (or emotional heart). That's where medicine can help. I mean, it's what we're doing with alcohol and food, medicating ourselves, just without the results we're looking for. But the medicine should only be a help, and the most important thing is giving people the ability, the means to deal with their reactions to life, or to deal with life itself, to educate them and teach them how to build networks of people around them, to embrace sadness and tough times and work away from them without denying them. I think it's very important to teach them to reach out for medication in those times when they can't find the other things too. But I'm afraid the drugs are being used to cover up too much, not only by the people taking them but by those around them in many cases. Not all "loving" family members are loving. Many people are actively contributing to a person's depression through all sorts of abuse, even subtle abuse, power trips and such. I wish people would learn more about self-empowerment, about belief, faith in the things they don't know are out there, believing that if they seek them out, they will find a better life.

In any case, you know I think there's nothing frivolous about horses!! Heh, really sorry to hear about your ex's sister. Is that affecting you a lot? I mean, six kids and not the best father. . . do you have much contact. . wow. . .

I hear you on the scary roads, probably been on some of them myself. Sure glad you made it this far, Raven, hope you make it a lot, lot further. You've got a lot to offer and I hope you'll be able to GET a lot too!! :grouphug:

Derry -- I think it's great that you're looking into nutrition and such and trying to educate your son. I think it's one of the most important things we can do these days. Talk about chemicals. We are being bombarded with them in the vast majority of our foods, not to speak of the air and water. Perhaps it's no wonder that we are turning more often to drugs such as antidepressants, after all, we are literally battling drugs with drugs. If we keep our bodies strong though, we'll be able to better fight the curve balls life throws us, the curve balls life has always thrown people, but in today's world, with our poor health and poor nutrition, we are just all that more vulnerable.

As for your book search, I would suggest Caffeine Blues by Stephen Cherniske (reminds me I'm going to read it again to keep me off the stuff) and Sugar Blues by William Dufty (appealed to me because it ranted about the way sugar has, throughout history, been used by big-money industries with no concern for the little people) and Stop the Insanity by Susan Powter (here again, talks about the money involved in big industries such as dairy and the effects of diet on health but in a very personal and readable way). These are three powerful and readable books.

Chachee -- hi there and thanks for noticing my new avatar! Glad you like it. Wow, an SM aficiando here! So, I take it, you're the M, not the S, or do you kind of move between the two! :lol:

Definitely hear you on the eating everything mentality. Silly people who "can't eat." Genetically dysfunctional, I'd say. They would never have survived back when our kind were surviving! Can you imagine turning up your nose at something like a side of raw woolly mammoth or saying no to your fifteenth apple just because you were full when your next meal might be a month, no a whole year, away! No, way, we've got to stuff it in whether we like it or not. That's life. . . oh, wait, different time, different place. . . time slip there. . .

jolly - how's it going. Did you get your workout in? I am the same way, get in an awful mood if I've been working out and then can't. It doesn't go the other way though (getting in a bad mood if I work out after not having done so in a long time) All I get then is tired. And I agree with what you say about the depression/drugs thing. I think Raven was saying the same thing, just hadn't presented it in the same way, her focus was more on the part you talk about as the "helping them up, helping them find success and passions" but I think she will readily agree that there is nothing wrong with taking medication at times. I definitely think there is an enormous amount of abuse of the antidepressants though, as quick "answers" and quick "solutions" and, unfortunately, a lot of that quickness is on the part of doctors wanting to keep their customers coming back and/or looking to give people what they want, not want even the doctors themselves know they need. I liken it to the doctors who recommend lipposuction at the drop of a hat because they're making big bucks off it and if the patient wants it they'll just go to someone who'll give it to them. Sure, such measures save lives at times too, but they also are meaningless in the long run if the person doesn't change eating habits etc.

By the way, when you said you had a client on psychotropic meds. . what kind of work are you in? Are you a doctor/nurse? Sorry if I asked before. I've forgotten.

Happy -- what's up with you these days? Raven was saying how things were bad for you? Sure hope they're better now. I read your back was hurting. Is that better now. Sure hope so. Please tell me how you are doing. You have your move coming up, don't you? Oh, yes, how is the teeth bleaching working out? You must have one dazzling smile, no? :spin:

*********

Any one I missed? Hello and hope to hear from you soon. Lucky? Where are you? Get your computer up yet? I sure know how that is . . . I'm still limping a bit with mine. Got a mishmash from friends, an old hard drive with the latest OS-X, which means I can't used most of the software people have given me, or my printer. Must get that going but am reluctant to switch back to an older system now that I've gotten used to OS-X. It's great. And I'm worried I'll lose everything and not know how to hook up to my provider.. . .Well, gotta do something. Suppose I could always put X back in . . . Oh well, there I go overthinking things again.

Well, people. Gotta get some sleep. I've made it through the day in a great way. Thanks for being here. :wave: